Ray and the Kansas Lottery

After Ray was retired he stayed very busy. He made many speeches, was on the radio and TV a lot, and in 1986 Governor Hayden made him a Lottery commissioner. Kansas had made gambling legal and they first put in dog racing tracks at Wichita and Leavenworth. They had their own commissioners. When they organized they voted themselves salaries. When Hayden named the five Lottery Commissioners from different parts of the state, they decided not to have salaries but would have traveling expenses. After it had been in existence they decided to have a TV show. Fred Broski was the master of ceremonies at Channel 5 in Fairway. It was to give some of the losers another chance. Since Ray lived in Johnson County he represented the Lottery--no traveling expenses. I took my mother-in-law and any grandchild we had for the day and we attended. I never trust game shows and applause as there was someone with a sign telling me when to clap. I always did. As the years went by Ray would be reappointed and we represented the Lottery commission at meetings at Las Vegas and at Disneyworld in Florida. They let him take me along but I always paid my own expenses. At Disneyworld I got to go underground and see how they did things and learned the names of Daisy Duck's three nieces--April, May, and June. They were only in one movie while his nephews were in many.

As the years went by he kept getting reappointed by other governors. Finally it reached the point he was to be appointed in charge. The appointment to question him turned out to be the same day we had a William Allen White Day in Lawrence. Mrs. Docking (the first Docking) went with us places as she knew the same people. I told her we had to go on to Topeka afterwards and she said that was fine as she had not been there for awhile. We took her with us and she and I went along with Ray to the room he was going to be questioned by the Democrats. She and I sat in the back of the room but the Democrats suddenly did not want to ask Ray any questions as Mrs. Docking was still considered an influence in Kansas.

I have many things around the house with the Lottery on them like cups, measuring spoons and things they gave out at the fairs. One you are on the lottery you can not buy tickets so I have yet to buy any. I have liked the people they hire to be in charge for the state. I remember one who had a wife who was a great cook and she invited us to their house often for meals.